Tianjin's Dragon Boat races thrill city at Mid-Autumn Festival

With over 30 crews participating this year and about 460 athletes involved, there was a genuine feeling of international friendship and camaraderie between them and of course, the ever- enthusiastic spectators. One group is the Tianjin International Charity Team (TICT), which I have been proudly associated with particularly as a photographer and through mutual friendship. The team was organized in collaboration between the Tianjin Dragon Boat Association and the city's Shangri-La Hotel. It included 26 paddlers from over 18 countries, who are associated with the city in various ways. Each participant paid 600 yuan for a place on the team's boat, with the proceeds donated to a charity, Cathay Future Foundation, the 'Healing Young Hearts Program' supporting children, along with their families, receiving cancer treatment at Tianjin University Hospital. The team's colorful red and yellow shirt incorporated the flags of all the paddlers within the team, including China, and initials BTAC (Beijing Tianjin Adventure Club). They raised over 15,000 yuan through this event for the charity.